Which "non wide angle" lens do you like for landscape?

[gale]

I hear about many instances where it is perferable to use a mild telephoto lens

for a landscape shot. I prefer FD Primes for much of my shooting so i was

wondering which FD Prime telephoto lenses are best for sharpness and

packability for landsscapes.

 

I've been thinking of adding a 85mm f/1.8 and a 100 f/2.8 as they are relativly

small for packability. Could these also double for some portrait shots? I

have a 135 FL 3.5 which is mildly slow but really sharp. It is light and I do

use it for some outdoor shots.

 

My current FD Primes I use for landscape are a FD 24mm f/2.8, a FD 28mm f/2.8

and my standard 50mm f/1.4

[ronald_moravec1]

I could live with a 35,50, 90.

[wildwoodgallery]

You need lenses to 200mm for landscape. Maybe even to 300mm. There are just sometimes you need to reach out. My dad & I were out taking some fall photos and I didn't take any photos at 200mm but my dad did. I was really surprised when I saw the photos my dad took.

 

Rick<div></div>

[wildwoodgallery]

My dad's photo.

 

Rick<div></div>

[gman]

Rick,

Both of those photos are good! Looks like it was a good day to be out and taking pictures. I agree that a 200 is also good focal length for landscape. I have been trying to include that in my kit but I have been so accustomed to using a lens in the 20-35 range for so long.

 

Wayne

[doug_nelson3]

I like the 85 f1.8 or, on Leicas, a 90mm. This is a good lens for isolating parts of a landscape and for not lending the long lens compression of depth effect.

http://www.dougnelsonphoto.com/-/dougnelsonphoto/detail.asp?photoID=454877&cat=96

needed isolating because getting any closer would have put me down the hill.

[bill_force]

50 mm, I use 3 different ones but use my feet to zoom!

[summitar]

I guess I had the mindset that landscape was the realm of wide angles. The 200mm photos were very nice. Thanks for opening my eyes.

[User_1577653]

David,

 

Probably about half of my landscapes were done at 50mm and up. By far my most commonly used "non-wide" lens for landscapes is my 50mm 1.2L. I also use my 100mm f/2.0 a lot, and to a much smaller degree my 200mm 4.0 macro and 300mm 2.8L. I have even taken a few landscapes at 600mm and 1200mm! So yes, if you can make the narrower FOV work for you, teles can give you very interesting landscape perspectives. And if packability is important, there are numerous choices in the range from 50mm to 135mm.

 

Jeff

[keith_lubow]

I love all sort of lenses for landscapes. My favorites are a 35 and a 200. It all comes down to how much you want to carry. Ideally I would have six bodies and six lenses at all times, but that's never the case.

 

The only reason to use a longer lens from the same location is for cropping. The only "compression of depth" comes from being a certain distance from your subject, and has nothing to do with what lens is on your camera. Shot from the same location, if you print a crop from a 50mm lens to the same framing as a 200 lens, the effect depth will appear the same. The 200 shot will have higher quality, but depth will be rendered the same way.

 

Keith

[John Crowe]

My favourites were Canon FD 17mm f4 and Canon FD 200mm f2.8, I also used 300/3.8 and 400/4.5/2.8 for some. Canon 80-200/4 L was nice when I owned one.

 

 

Current favourites are Nikon 14/2.8 and Nikon 200/2 as well as Nikon 28/2. Eventually want to downsize 200/2 to an EF 200/2.8 L or Leica 180/3.4.

[pensacolaphoto]

I have often used a 80-200 zoom and even a 300mm lens for fall colors.

 

 

Rick: Your Dad's second photo is like a beautiful painting. I love it.

[wildwoodgallery]

Thank you very much. My dad passed away about 4 mon ago. He was painter, he like oils and acrylic, and looked at things differently than I did when we went out photographing. I was so suprised many times when I would see his photographs and would wonder how I didn't see those photo opportunities. That right there shows me why you do need long telephotos.

 

Thank you Raid,

Rick

[frederick_muller]

I often use 75 to 135mm lenses for landscapes. They are especially useful when shooting from a vehicle on the road. They give you that extra reach to get beyond the telephone poles, lines, and other "nearscape" that moves by at a blur when travelling. 180mm, 300mm, and even longer lenses are useful to compress perspective.

[david_m]

For a landscape, its nice to include something in the foreground to give the sense of distance. Obviously you can only do this with a wide-angle not with a telephoto. I'd rather get closer and use a wide-angle if possible. You really need a tripod to get sharp photos with a 200mm.